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Tower might not scrape the sky

The developers need FAA approval to build 630 feet high because the proposed Tampa condo building is in the flight path of two airports.

By MICHAEL VAN SICKLER
Published May 23, 2006

It turns out the 630-foot-tall condo tower approved by the Tampa City Council last week is a tad taller than allowed by height limits meant to protect the flight paths of two nearby airports.

How much taller? Try 172 feet.

That could hurt the building's chances of becoming downtown's tallest by vaulting past the yet-to-be-built Trump Tower by 37 feet.

Because the building dubbed Tampa Condo II will be at Washington and Morgan streets on the southern edge of downtown, it'll be in the flight path of Peter O. Knight Airport, a scant 2 miles away on Davis Islands. It will also be about 6 miles from Tampa International Airport.

So even with the necessary zoning approval from the city, the project's Daytona Beach developers, Amon Investments, must seek approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to build a tower that tall.

How often does the FAA allow a building to exceed the cap? Nobody really knows here in Tampa because projects usually stay below the cap, said Nadine Jones, director of planning for the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority.

The 458-foot cap at the project's location isn't final, so the FAA could rule that it's okay to exceed it, said Tony Mantegna, deputy director of the county's aviation authority.

The height limit represents an estimate by local aviation officials of what is suitable for that location, he said. Developers could convince FAA officials that the 51-story tower won't pose a hazard, he said.

But neither Mantegna nor Jones could recall another project that got built at a height above its specific cap. Neither could Ed Cooley, senior director of operations and safety at TIA.

The company, Cooley said, "needs to go through the process, file paperwork with the FAA, and provide information to us so we can review it.''

Amon always intended to do that, said Ron Weaver, an attorney for the project. Developers decided to get city approval first, then try to get FAA approval later.

"It's a chicken or an egg thing,'' Weaver said.

An aviation consultant is analyzing flight patterns to determine if the condo tower would interfere with planes, Weaver said.

FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown said the agency has waived height restrictions for buildings, but she didn't know how often developers prevail.

Last year in downtown St. Petersburg, the developer of a condo tower had to reduce its height by 54 feet after the FAA said the building could affect 1 percent of the planes flying in and out of Albert Whitted Airport.

The tower, named after its address, 400 Beach Drive, had to be cut from 370 feet to 316 feet. Its developer, Opus South Corp. of Tampa, eliminated a penthouse.

In Tampa, if the FAA doesn't approve Amon's request, the project might be redrawn - again. When it was announced in December, two towers of 625 feet were planned for 472 units. The plan approved last week was for one building, but the same number of units.

The tower also would include 15,000 square feet of retail space. Condo prices would range from $300,000 to $2-million for the penthouse.

On the north side of downtown, meanwhile, a developer filed papers for a two-tower condo project at Zack Street and Nebraska Avenue.

Union Station Tampa, a Boca Raton company, is listed as the owner. It proposes to build one building at 24 stories and 390 feet with 498 units. The second building is proposed for 28 stories and 350 feet with 353 units.

Company officials couldn't be reached.

Times staff writers Erika Vidal and Steve Huettel contributed to this report. Michael Van Sickler can be reached at 813 226-3402 or mvansickler@sptimes.com

[Last modified May 23, 2006, 08:51:27]